I wanted to start a new thread about potential launch vehicles for the Google Lunar X Prize. We've been discussing SpaceX quite often. I am interested to see what other launch systems are out there. There are several alternative launch systems that I have discovered. Of course most of these other launch services providers are not actually operational but the various companies claim they will be shortly. Take a look and tell me what you think.

These figures may be off somewhat, but it's not that crucial as it's just for illustration.
I've taken payload to LEO from Wikipedia
and costs from astronautica

Falcon 1 is far and away the cheapest. unless you can get somebody to pick up the cost of another launch vehicle or piggyback on a commercial launch for free. Even if you had to pay just one 20th of the launch cost of a Ariane V (say) you'd still be better going with a falcon 1.

What about ESA's Vega rocket, something like 2000kg to LEO of 400km and a cost of about $18M if I remember rightly. It must be due to fly either 2008 or 2009.

Maybe ESA would give a free ride to someone. If ESA are going to launch demo flights with ballast to test Vega, perhaps they would be willing to replace the ballast with a lunar transfer vehicle, lander and rover. The extra publicity for ESA would be good and there wouldn't be much downside (as shown by SpaceX's Falcon 1 failure to put its payload into orbit) if the rocket didn't make it. Maybe a European based team should pitch this to ESA?

_________________A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

The winning team must use 90% private funding. If they want to use an ESA "free ride" that free ride must also be made reasonably available to all other teams for the same "free" price.

$18M for 2000kg to 400km is still pretty inexpensive, perhaps two or more teams could purchase a ride on the same launch. However, depending on where the US $ goes, this might not be as attractive for US teams.

The winning team must use 90% private funding. If they want to use an ESA "free ride" that free ride must also be made reasonably available to all other teams for the same "free" price.

I dont see what the difference is between offerring to replace ballast on an early Vega flight with a Google lunar lander craft and being included as an add on to any other flight. As to offering it to everyone, why not. I just think that ESA might be more inclined to using a European team and it's fairly easy to make up excuses not to pick a particular team if they choose to. Also there are not an indefinite number of trips so it will be first come first served.

_________________A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

That is a great document! It is interesting how they show the highly eccentric orbits that Falcon 1 and 1e can reach, and especially how they show your departure for the Moon, using a kick stage or engine on the space craft, is done from the LOW point and not the high point in the orbit. It is just one of the counter intuitive things you need to know about orbital mechanics to do space flight efficiently. Because in orbits, it is less about where you are and more about your velocity.